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Max Payne 3 Preview for PC

Max Payne 3 Preview for PC

A New Kind Of Payne

Several years have passed since Max Payne 2. That statement is true both in reality and in the game’s story. The Fall of Max Payne was released by Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment nearly a decade ago, and although it was critically acclaimed, game sales were severely underwhelming. Rockstar has decided to make the game a trilogy and give the iconic Noire character another chance, although if you still remember every moment of the first two games, you’ll undoubtedly be surprised at the new direction the series is taking.

Several years have passed for Max as well, whose past adventures have revolved around retribution for the murder of his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, Max has been unable pull himself out of grief, and has become a morose being with little care for life. An old NYPD buddy named Raul Passos (likely a friendship preceding the original game) attempts to convince Max to join him in a private security job for a wealthy businessman in São Paulo. Max is reluctant, but after a group of mobsters bursts into his apartment seeking vengeance for the death of the mob boss’s son, Max escapes New York and heads to sunny Brazil.

Max Payne 3 Screenshot

Although there will still be traces of Max’s Noire heritage—such as the internal monologue—the story reflects a more modern drama, rife with attitude, drugs, kidnappings, and cinematics just begging for a big-screen blockbuster. Well, if you remember, a movie was produced off of the series—a poor one with Mark Wahlberg bringing the character to shame. But considering the presentation and smooth storyline fitting into this third game, it may be the closest bridge between Hollywood and the gaming world we’ve ever experienced. With load times built into cinematic sequences and multiple real-time split screens, the action will never have to wait for a little cursor in the bottom right corner of your TV.

The incredibly crisp and detailed environments you’ll explore are largely in part of the linear progression of the game. Despite being a Rockstar title with a look similar to their Grand Theft Auto series, Max Payne 3 will not cater to an open world setting. There may be some alternate choices along the way, but this will ultimately be a story to read from left to right, top to bottom. But because of this linearity, there is a lot more space to flex the graphical muscles of Rockstar’s RAGE and Euphoria engines.

Max Payne 3 Screenshot

We are told to expect the tight controls of an FPS, with the character connection of a third-person shooter, thanks to an incredible attention to precision and realism with regards to combat. Max is not the fit detective from years ago, and his days of beer-drinking sloth will be evident as you feel the weightiness of his movements. The physics of every barrier, fall, and weapon will make each scenario feel different in your hands. Max will adjust his posture while running and gunning, depending on where you move the crosshairs. If he side-jumps down a flight of stairs to avoid a barrage of bullets while unleashing his own, the impact will resonate, making you feel the ribs crack as he lands on his side and is slow to get up. Gun recoil and reload have been researched to account for proper force and time, respectively. One nice new feature is the 360-degree prone attack. After launching himself to the ground, Max will realistically roll and adjust his arm position to effectively manage being flanked by enemies at any angle.

Attention has also been placed on bullet impact and the tactics and morale of the thugs and mercenaries you’ll encounter. Depending on where the enemy is hit and the caliber of the bullet fired, the struck enemy with spin and contort or grasp the wound accordingly. Lowly thugs who’ve seen little action will be quick to flail and flee, while seasoned troops will take more punishment and attempt to rush and flank you more frequently.

Max Payne 3 Screenshot

Though still considered a cover-based shooter, many of the shelters don’t react well to bullets, and will disintegrate if cowered behind for too long. But remember, Max is a man with nothing to lose, so launching himself into a firing squad will be a viable strategy more often than crouching behind a barrel. A useful tool returns for those firefights in the form of Bullet Time, a feature that the original Max Payne introduced to the gaming world. Some of the slow-motion sequences are mandatory throughout the storyline, while others can be instigated by your command. The final bullet of each enemy wave will present you with a camera that follows the projectile to its target in a bloody finale.

After you’ve tired of A.I. opponents, you’ll be able to the take the action to your fellow humans in the first multiplayer venture of the series. All of the now-standard tropes of multiplayer will be included, such as a leveling system, clans, and multiple loadouts. However, according to Rockstar, the maps and modes will not be finite, and throughout each map the environment could significantly change (likely through destruction), as could the objectives.

Over the years, many of us have grown skeptical that we’d ever see Max in action again. Even when we did see glimmers of a new game, the release was continuously pushed back for quality purposes. Now that the finished product is finally drawing near, we’ve seen what’s to come: the rejuvenation of a beloved series and protagonist, which does nothing evolutionary in the gameplay department but looks to have been fine tuned to a pitch few titles in the same genre can match. Will that bold assumption hold true? We’ll know come May.

Game Features:

  • Max Payne 3 introduces an explosive and innovative multiplayer experience, bringing Max Payne’s signature Shootdodge and Bullet Time gameplay features along with a range of new and expanded special abilities into the arena of competitive online multiplayer.
  • From automatics to handguns to rifles and explosives, Max wields (and dual-wields) a wide range of high-powered weaponry in both single-player and multiplayer. Max Payne 3 provides devastating firepower for any and all situations that call for decisive and punishing action.
  • From New York to São Paulo, explore intelligence gathered on the characters and gangs that you will encounter throughout the treacherous story of Max Payne 3.


  • Back From The Dead

    The wait for a third game in the popular Max Payne series has been a long one, as Max Payne 2 came out eight years ago. Ever since, fans have been clamoring for a third game in the series. Now, the folks at Rockstar Games are breathing new life into the series, with the third game due out next year. This is a unique project for Rockstar, as the previous two Max Payne titles were handled by Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind Alan Wake. But if any studio can take the action and storytelling to the next level, it’ll be Rockstar, and if what we’ve seen of the game so far is any indication, this looks like it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

    Max Payne 3 takes place several years after the events in the second game. Since we last saw him, Max has been followed by the traumatic memories of his past. According to Rockstar co-founder Sam Houser, “this is a Max as we’ve never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever.” When we see Max, he’s at his worst; his life is spiraling downward and he’s since left New York City behind. Max Payne 3 takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil where Payne has tried to start a new life working private security for a wealthy man and his family. When gangs threaten the family he’s hired to protect, he’s forced to do whatever he can to protect them. Thankfully, Max is adept at handling tough situations.

    Max Payne 3 Screenshot

    The game uses Rockstar’s proprietary game engine that brings with it some of the most advanced technology available in the industry today. This means Max Payne will look even better than their previous work, all of which were insanely gorgeous games, and make this game look and feel like a cinematic experience. Unlike their other games, like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3 is a more linear experience. This is a more refined, less open game, which allows Rockstar to control much of what you see, so the cinematic quality is never broken. To make the characters look and act more realistically, Rockstar is using motion capture to bring the characters to life. Max will again be voiced by James McCaffrey, who will be the voice and the body of the game’s lead character.

    One of the things the Payne series is known for is its combat, and this time it’s seeing a few renovations. Staples of the action/shooter genre will be present, including dual-wielding, melee combat, and an intelligent cover system that makes navigating the environment without making yourself vulnerable to your enemies easier than ever. On top of that, there will also be a very realistic arsenal of weapons that Max can choose from to dispatch all these goons. Should you find yourself getting sick of a particular weapon, all you have to do is replace it with the weapon dropped by a fallen enemy. Then, of course, the Bullet-Time will be making its triumphant return as well. The Bullet-Time will feel much like it did in the previous games, only this time it’s been more finely tuned so you can make the most of the time you spend using it.

    Max Payne 3 Screenshot

    Despite wanting to stay true to the source material, Rockstar isn’t afraid to try new things with this game. When you take out the last guy in a group of enemies, the Kill-Cam is activated, which follows the final bullet you fire to its destination inside the head, torso, groin, etc. of the last enemy you kill. Instead of giving us a second or two to watch the final guy die slowly as we bask in the satisfaction of successfully mowing down a handful of enemies, the Kill-Cam is actually controllable. While you’re following the bullet along its trajectory, you can move the camera to see it from different viewpoints and even manipulate the bullet’s speed. The Euphoria engine that controls the game’s physics (it was also the reason the horses in Red Dead Redemption looked so realistic) actually animates every bullet differently, each with its own unique physics.

    Max Payne 3 Screenshot

    Visually, the game is attractive in the way that polished games of this generation tend to be. It was conspicuously absent from E3, and hasn’t been seen in motion yet, but the screenshots show a title that offers both the grit and grime of the New York experience and, almost paradoxically, green palms and brilliant sun for Sao Paulo, with adobe houses and graffiti ever present.

    If you’re a fan of the series, fear not, as it’s in very capable hands. For those of you who haven’t yet been introduced to Max Payne, this is a good intro to the series. This is definitely a Max Payne game; the frantic gunplay and a focus on story are the things Rockstar looks to be investing the most time into, and if it pays off, this could be a very memorable game. With its darker and grittier new look, stunning graphics, and deep combat system, Max Payne looks to be shaping up into the best game in the series so far.

    Game Features:

  • Jump back in the shoes of former New York City detective Max Payne, who’s still haunted by the memories of his traumatic past.
  • Feast your eyes on cutting edge technology that creates a stunning, cinematic action experience.
  • Explosive action fueled by an arsenal of realistic weapons, an intelligent cover system, and Bullet-Time.
  • In addition to the single-player campaign, Max Payne 3 is the first in the series to introduce a multiplayer experience.

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